[Vision2020] Universities lack of honest education

[Pat Kraut]

So, many of you have so locked in your mind all the knowledge you need that
you not only won't go to a talk about anything you mock those who do! I have
found both our local universities just like this one at Missouri State:
CHRISTIAN STUDENT WINS FREEDOM OF RELIGION CASE - (Print)


Many Christian students in public universities complain about liberal
professors. The problem is not that these professors open students to a
gamut of ideas - fresh and divergent thinking is vital to intellectual
discovery. What too often happens, however, is that liberalism is embraced
and conservative ideas and people are tacitly censored. And occasionally,
professors give class assignments that put conservative students in
difficult situations - like requiring them to advocate for homosexual
adoption.

That's what Emily Brooker faced in a required class taught by Dr. Frank G.
Kauffman at Missouri State University. The university has recently settled a
case with Brooker, after she filed a lawsuit saying that her Free Speech
rights had been violated.

Brooker is studying to become a social worker, and Dr. Kauffman taught two
of the classes she had to take at the University of Missouri. Brooker said
that Dr. Kaufman told the class on the first day that he was liberal but
open to differing opinions on things. Brooker quickly found out that Dr.
Kaufman was not as open as he said, however. When she offered conservative
viewpoints during political discussions, he did not appreciate her comments.

Then came the advocacy assignment. Dr. Kaufman assigned his students to
write to their senator in favor of homosexual adoption and foster care.
Brooker and another student told the professor that the assignment violated
their personal beliefs. Brooker told CNS News:

"We were willing to do all of the research and the other parts of the
assignment, even writing a letter - we just didn't want to sign it and send
it to our senator. We did not feel that advocating for this is in our
personal beliefs."
Dr. Kauffman responded by filing a "level three" grievance against Brooker
because of her refusal to advocate for gay adoption. She was told that her
religious views conflicted with the National Association of Social Workers'
code of ethics, and she had violated three standards of the School of Social
Work; diversity, interpersonal skills and professional behavior. She was
sent before the ethics committee, where she was asked questions like, "Do
you think gays and lesbians are sinners?"

After the grievance was filed, Brooker asked for help from the Alliance
Defense Fund, a conservative legal organization that works to protect
religious rights. To its credit, Missouri State University made a quick
investigation into the matter, and settled out of court last week. The
university has agreed to pay Brooker $9000, plus free tuition and a $3000
per year housing allowance for her two years as a Master's student. Dr.
Kauffman has stepped down from his position as director of the Master of
Social Work program and has been assigned to non-teaching duties.

Erik Stanley, chief counsel for Liberty Counsel, told CNS News that what Dr.
Kauffman had done was "appalling".

"Those types of issues like homosexuality or abortion - things that are very
divisive and that people hold very strong religious views on - should not be
mandated by the government in order to engage in these kinds of professions,
like social work," Stanley said.
"The end result of the homosexual movement is not same-sex marriage.  It is
silencing the opposition. The end goal of the same-sex movement cannot
tolerate anybody that has an opposing view point. These kinds of cases are
indicative of that."

It's important that Chistian students know they do have rights in the
classroom, even when liberal professors try to muffle conservative voices.
Students should always be respectful of the position of teachers and
administrators, but they do not have to be bullied into doing what they
believe to be morally wrong.
I use this as my signature because even Stephen Hawking was willing to admit
that he didn't know everything and there is a God.

If we do discover a complete theory..of everything...we shall all,
philosophers, scientists and just ordinary people,
be able to take part in the discussion of why it is that we and the universe
exist if we find the answer to that,
it would be the ultimate triumph of human reason...for then we would know
the mind of God.
Stephen Hawking